Unfortunately, meat and meat products aren't permitted into Canada unless you're travelling directly from the US.  (not sure about the status of highly processed items like tinned pate - I would have thought they would have a clear list for that, but perhaps not) You can get an import licence, but probably not worth it for personal use quantities (and maybe not possible for that end-use)

That said, the border agent's attitude was ridiculous.  I recommend filing a complaint.  It is your responsibility to check in advance whether your items can be imported (the tool here will tell you what the border officer's decision should be: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/plants/imports/airs/eng/1300127512994/1300127627409# ) , but it's also the border agent's responsibility to clearly indicate the grounds for refusing entry.  They don't have to give you much in the way of detail, but they do have to give you a reason.  You don't get to argue.

In this case: no meat products.  Wild fowl is always verboten.

Since she was unable to state simply it's doubtful her decision was based on any real consideration of the regulations, and her attitude requires adjustment.  Even if not true, she could simply have said "meat products of any kind are prohibited, sir." and be done - you'd have thought "curses, I should have checked!" and that would have been the end of it.

I agree: "no meat products", if she had just said that, I would have been annoyed but satisfied. She also could have supplied me with that link you gave (thanks, I've been sifting through sites looking for that).

border agent's responsibility to clearly indicate the grounds

This is what left me with a bad taste. It was very clear that neither she, nor her co-workers, were overly clear on the regulations involved. (three people spent over 5 minutes gathered around a computer discussing its permissibility)

Wild fowl Meat is always verboten.

Keep it simple ;) It wasn't wild, and wouldn't have mattered if it was mutton.

Unfortunately it's not possible to keep it simple in this case: there are certain kinds of meat (main commercial ones) you could bring in if arriving from the US. Wild fowl (and wild meat in general) is always forbidden, with some limited exceptions for pre-approved hunting quotas. Commercially raised meat is always forbidden unless within limits from the US.


But yeah: biggest problem at the border for reasonable people is never "I didn't know it was forbidden" and always "you obviously don't really know what the hell you're talking about"

... but it wasn't wild meat.

Unfortunately wild vs commercial isn't defined on a case by case basis, they just define what constitutes "domestic" and call everything else "game" or "wild" even if it was farmed. You can probably get exceptions for commercial scale import, but not for personal scales except the limited hunting rules.